Statistics emerged in a study to mark the launch of the new series of crime drama Murdertown on Crime+Investigation, and the results show some of the UK’s most popular cities being rated as the most dangerous places to live. Cardiff has been deemed the least safe city to live in the UK, according to a poll of 2,000 adults across 15 major cities.
Residents of Cardiff voted it the least safe place to live because of increases in knife crime, murders, vandalism and car theft.
The poll shows 38 percent of adults living in the Welsh capital don’t feel safe when out on the streets at night, while 31 percent worry about their safety even during the daytime.
What’s more, 26 percent of adults in Cardiff have witnessed a crime - up from 16 percent three years ago.
Elsewhere, Birmingham and London came second and third in the poll.
Nearly 38 percent of those polled living in Birmingham have installed CCTV and alarms at home to curb their fears about safety.
The poll found 41 percent of Londoners would feel much safer with a police station in their neighbourhood.
Perhaps most shockingly, just more than a quarter of residents polled would even consider legally owning a gun or knife for self-protection.
Researchers found Londoners are most likely to have experienced crime in the capital (33 percent) - an increase of 14 percent since 2018.
Most common wrongdoings include unprovoked acts of violence (53 percent), fraud (45 percent) and muggings (43 percent).
A spokesman said: "Despite being popular living spots, it’s surprising to see some of the most common cities deemed unsafe - particularly the likes of Cardiff, London and Birmingham.
“There are clear concerns of activity from the British public that they could be a victim or witness a crime when walking around at night or even in during the daytime.
“The new TV series will aim to uncover the most shocking murders in the UK and examine the impact they had on the cities around them.”
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However, some cities came out with much more favourable results.
Sheffield, Southampton, and Edinburgh came out as the top three safest cities to live in, with less than one in ten adults in the Scottish capital experiencing any sort of crime.
Half of all residents polled in Southampton would recommend living in the city.
Norwich and Leicester complete the top five safest cities, while Bristol and Leeds come further down the chart, ranking 11th and 12th.
The full ranking of cities:
1. Edinburgh
2. Southampton
3. Sheffield
4. Norwich
5. Leicester
6. Manchester
7. Newcastle
8. Cambridge
9. Liverpool
10. Glasgow
11. Bristol
12. Leeds
13. Birmingham
14. London
15. Cardiff